Outdated Bryce Harper trade speculation ignores reality of Cubs' situation

Bryce Harper has long been viewed as the one that got away for the Chicago Cubs. It made perfect sense for the Cubs to sign Harper ahead of the 2019 season, but they shied away from his bidding. Harper, of course, established residency with the Philadelphia Phillies, but there's been an uptick in speculation that he's not long for the City of Brotherly Love.

It started during the offseason, when Harper was upset over comments by Dave Dombrowski suggesting that the superstar first baseman wasn't quite a superstar for the team in 2025. Fast forward to the start of the 2026 season, and the Phillies have been a train wreck, and Rob Thomson has already been fired as the team's manager.

Unless there's a righting of the ship in Philadelphia soon, it would seem that the Phillies are headed toward being sellers at the deadline. Harper's name is bound to come up, and Bleacher Report is already making a list of the teams that make the most sense for the 33-year-old first baseman.

Now, thinking about the Cubs and what they will be looking for ahead of the deadline, the obvious answer is pitching. This is why it comes as a surprise that the North Siders were ranked as the second-best fit for Harper this season.

The struggles of Michael Busch were cited as a reason why the Cubs could be interested in Harper, and that Jaxon Wiggins could be the prospect who gets the conversation started.

The Bryce Harper dream may have faded for the Cubs.

There's some context needed when it comes to the struggles of Busch. The 28-year-old has 55 home runs over the past two years, and is an ascending fielder at first base. Harper is Harper, but the better value for the Cubs may be rolling with Busch as their cost-controlled first baseman, especially if the team isn't concerned with his slow start.

Along those lines, there's reason to believe Busch is emerging from his slump. Entering the weekend, he was slashing .254/.356/.381 with a wRC+ of 114 over his last 73 plate appearances.

As for Wiggins being an enticing prospect to offer in a potential trade, that isn't the case at the moment. Wiggins remains sidelined with elbow inflammation, and as long as there's vagueness surrounding his status, it's hard to imagine any team will view him as the key piece in any trade.

There have been plenty of years when Harper would have looked great in the Cubs' lineup. In 2026, that may no longer hold.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow